Minor earthquakes and an approaching front prompt caution for rescue efforts｜Taiwan News

Aftershocks have hampered ongoing search and rescue operations in Hualien, where a deadly magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck on April 3. The Central Weather Administration on Sunday urged caution as an approaching weather front will bring rain in the coming days, which will likely hamper rescue operations – particularly due to loose rocks and soil. Meanwhile, a seismologist has pointed out that the recent earthquakes in Chiayi were not related to the April 3 earthquake, and cautioned that more earthquakes are expected over the coming week or two.

Buildings shake and lamps sway back and forth. At 10:26 p.m. on Saturday, a magnitude 4.9 earthquake hit Hualien – the most recent tremor to strike the county following the deadly April 3 earthquake. Meanwhile, on the other side of Taiwan proper, Chiayi has seen frequent earthquakes over the past two days. The largest, with a magnitude of 4.9, occurred in Budai Township early Saturday morning.

Lee Yi-ting
Seismological Center
Most of the earthquakes occurring in this area have been of magnitude 3 to 4, and there will be more earthquakes of magnitude 3 to 4 over the next week or two. As you can see, there is no clear fault zone in this area. So, we think this may be a blind fault, or some previously unknown area of fragmentation.

However, one expert has pointed out that these quakes occurring in Chiayi are not aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake.

Kuo Kai-wen
Seismologist
This group of earthquakes has been distributed across Budai and Yizhu townships, in an east-west pattern. If those quakes are connected with the one that occurred recently in Dapu Township, then we may see seismic activity across the northern part of Tainan—so people should remain vigilant. Following this group of small earthquakes, it’s likely we will see a slow release of energy, and then things will gradually calm down. There is only about a 5% chance of an earthquake exceeding magnitude 5, so the possibility of that is not very high.

People have been reacting with unease whenever there’s any tectonic activity in the wake of the April 3 earthquake. Ongoing search and rescue operations in Hualien have also been hampered by aftershocks. Now there is concern that an incoming weather front will add to the difficulty of those efforts.

Chang Cheng-chuan
Meteorologist, CWA
Before Wednesday, rainfall will likely occur mainly in the afternoon. Over the past few days, the soil and rocks have become loose. So, over the coming days, there will be a need for caution in the afternoon when it rains.

An approaching front is expected to bring rain to the north and northeast of Taiwan on Thursday, while in Southern and Central Taiwan, rainfall will only be observed in mountainous areas. The rain will ease up on Friday and Saturday, but moisture will still concentrate in northern and eastern regions.

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